Everyone lives their own life; don't trust everything you read.
Across the kitchen, past the marble counter and the wooden dining set, by the sliding glass door, was my sister. He was there, too. An arm around her throat, lightly holding her to him but not hurting her. I could see her eyes wide and glassy, her blonde hair up in pigtails and her jaw quivering just a little.
He was dressed casually, but I could see from his stance and the grim look on his face that something was going on. Why did he have Annie in such a harsh grip?
"Stop! Come back! Annie!" I pleaded, but there was no response.
A whispered threat and a cruel ultimatum were the last things he said to me before fleeing out into the morning darkness pulling her with him. I didn't get to see in time, but I could hear the sounds of some great avian Pokémon, wings flapping hard to take off before I was halfway across the room. I broke down crying, on the floor, alone.
I woke up.
The dream was always the same. Reliving that morning, when my life changed. At first I hated sleeping and tried to stay up for days. Slowly accepting the truth; what my life had become. In my heart I thanked Wake, again, for his understanding and accommodations.
Mechanically, I opened my bag and pulled out the worn yellow pamphlet that had become my motivator. Blue and red ribbons, faded over time, were painted up and down the sides of the paper in an attempt to catch the eye.
POKEMON CATCHER COMPETITION
Open to all with a trainer's license
Ever wanted to become a POKEMON TRAINER?
NOW IS YOUR CHANCE!
Every city will be offering TRAINERs permission to sign up for the biggest Pokémon-catching contest in all Sinnoh!
For the TRAINER who catches the best Pokémon, there will be a reward given by the League Champion herself!
Sign up at your nearest official League building, and we wish you the best of luck!
Inside the folded paper there were leagues of tiny, neat words that explained the conditions more thoroughly. The explanation offered in them wasn't as complete as the paper copy trainers got when they signed up, but I still knew them like the back of my hand.
I gathered my thoughts to me as I prepared to pack up. This was the first night I'd slept outside, in preparation for the journey I had ahead. Registration started today at high noon, and sleeping outside was no excuse to not get a head start.
I ignored the squirming, sickening feeling in my stomach. My fear had built itself into a solid force, hammering at my resolve. But I would not break. For Annie.